‘Hurt, saddened, ashamed’

Freedom Fighters are dissatisfied with the sentence given to Ghulam Azam despite all the charges being proved beyond doubt.

Central Command Council of Bangladesh Muktijoddha Sangsad has rejected this verdict, said several of its members.

The 91-year-old has been found guilty by the war crimes tribunal of all five categories of crime – incitement, conspiracy, planning, abetment and failure to prevent murder.

The judge said in the verdict, Ghulam Azam deserves maximum penalty for all the crimes he committed. But this verdict has considered his age and health condition.

Akram Hossain who fought the war for freedom at Sector-2 said, “As a freedom fighter I am hurt, saddened and ashamed for this verdict. Ghulam Azam was the main villain of 1971. Ghulam Azam formed the main blueprint for all the murders, loots and rapes. He is not being hanged. I don’t accept this verdict.”

Freedom fighter Saifuzzaman said, “This verdict is not acceptable from any angle. This man who committed one heinous act after another in 1971 and formed the ‘Pakistan Punoruddhar Committee’ to conspire against the country even after its liberation … why won’t he be hanged?”

Durgesh Das arrived from Brahmanbaria to hear the verdict. He too fought the liberation war at Sector-2.

“We can’t describe how hurt we are today. He directed the Jamaat-e-Islami and Pakistani army to murder the children of this land. If Sayedee and Kamaruzzaman can be hanged why can’t he?” said Das.

Freedom fighter Mofazzal Hossain said, “He (Ghulam Azam) incited each and every act against humanity in 1971. The Pakistani army could not have slaughtered so many without him. And he is not going to be hanged? I have respect for the Tribunal but it is not possible for freedom fighters and patriots to accept this verdict.”

Central Command Council of Bangladesh Muktijoddha Sangsad and Muktojoddha Sangsad Santan Command were demanding death penalty for Ghulam Azam from a procession outside the International Crimes Tribunal on Monday.

They were peacefully demonstrating but the news of the verdict caused at outburst of anger among them.

They chased after a man they suspected to be a relative of Ghulam Azam. He had come out of the tribunal and was trying to get into his car parked outside the gate.

Freedom fighter SM Khurshid Alam said, “We will not accept this verdict. We will appeal in High Court so that he is hanged. We won’t go home unless he is hung by his neck.”